


A Very Joyful Christmas

by k3nj1ph1



Category: Leverage
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-07 07:08:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5447681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/k3nj1ph1/pseuds/k3nj1ph1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eliot won't tell Parker what Hardison bought her for Christmas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Very Joyful Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [meils121](https://archiveofourown.org/users/meils121/gifts).



> Merry Christmas, Meils, I hope that you enjoy this half as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thanks for a great prompt!

Hardison was wiping down the top of the copper bar now that _Atlanta Ale Works_ was closed for the night. As part owner he didn’t mind closing the bar down, cashing out the drawers, and tidying up the place. As far as putting the ale taps to bed for the night - Eliot’s words, not his - he left that up to his friend. All he knew was that it had to do with shutting things off, flushing something, and wiping down the nozzles; better to let their master brewer do it than to have him muck it up. When he finished wiping down the bar he moved on to cleaning and sanitizing the tables tops, all copper as well, with walnut bases and maroon leather arm chairs for their patrons to sit in. Eliot, Hardison, and Parker, the third owner in this partnership, spared no expense in building the most perfect, comfortable, and welcoming place where people could come eat their favorite food and drink micro-brews. Hardison was proud of their little sanctuary and was glad they had settled in Atlanta, it was big enough to go unnoticed, but yet people knew they could come to them for help.

As he finished pushing the last chair in for the night, Hardison heard Parker’s shout come from the kitchen, followed by something clattering to the floor. Shaking his head, he finished what he was doing and walked towards the kitchen where Parker and Eliot were making cookies for the children’s hospital. Pushing the big oak door open, Hardison didn’t know if he should laugh, help clean up the mess, or back away slowly. Parker’s hair was a disaster, she had an ice pack on her right hand, and a smile a mile wide on her face. As he felt a matching grin spread across his own face, he turned to look at his best friend and winced. Eliot had a bruise blooming across a very red left cheek and a face that was scowling. There were several mixing bowls on the floor, powder and he was guessing sugar, all over the ground. He decided to stay and help.

“Your wife finally nailed that right hook I’ve been trying to teach her for ten years.” Eliot’s voice was laced with only a minor bit of annoyance. 

“Sure looks like it.” Hardison walked over to the two of them, his shoes crunching on the sugar covered floor, and kissed Parker on cheek before stepping over the mixing bowls that had fallen to the floor and over to the freezer. “Let me get you some ice, El.” He already had the door open and an ice pack in his hand, it was something they kept made up in the freezer. 

“Yeah, thanks.” Eliot walked over to Hardison and grabbed the pack from him. “Glad she decided not to wear her rings while we made cookies.” Hardison laughed and touched the chain around his neck fondly, where his wife’s rings were hanging.

“Why did she punch you?” Hardison inquired. 

Eliot looked at his best friend and raised an eyebrow. “She knows you told me what you got her for Christmas and she wants to know. I refused to tell her and I might have teased her a little bit. So I can’t say I didn’t deserve to get punched, I just never thought it’d hurt this badly.” The hitter put the ice pack on his cheek, only wincing a little. 

“Sorry man, but you know I needed your help in picking out her gift.” The hacker looked a little sheepish. “I’ll talk to her about how it’s not polite to punch your friends when they don’t tell you what you want to know. Especially when it would ruin the surprise.” The last little bit was said much louder than needed, Hardison wanted to make sure his wife heard that bit loud and clear. 

Parker had perched herself on a nearby stool and was laughing quietly at the two boys. “Don’t think I got away with any lack of pain. Holy crap,” she flexed her fingers and winced, “yeah, they aren’t broken, but damn they hurt.”

Walking over to the stool where she was perched; Eliot took Parker’s hand gently, removed the ice pack and looked at it. “Keep the ice on it and take some Aleve tonight. That will help with the pain; it’ll hurt for a few days.” Eliot was chuckling just a little, still trying not to smile and failing horribly. “If you want I’ll wrap it before you go to sleep.” Putting the ice pack back on her hand, he made sure she had a hold of it before letting go. 

Parker nodded, “Yeah, that’d be great.” Turning she looked at Hardison. “Why won’t you give me any clues to what you got me?” 

Walking over to his wife, swiping a bit of the gingerbread dough that was on the stainless steel counter and popping it into his mouth, he looked her right in the eye. Swallowing the dough, he made a happy noise before speaking. “First off, that is some fine dough. Second, Parker Hardison, a surprise is suppose to be unknown until said surprise has been given to the person it is intended for. So there is a reason that Eliot did not give you the answer you wanted. Third,” he said, tapping his wife on the nose with each word, “It. Is. Not. Nice. To. Punch. Our. Friends.” He ended the sentence with a gentle kiss on her nose. 

Pouting, with full on puppy dog eyes, Parker begged, “Please? One little tiny hint?” 

Simultaneously both men answered, “NO!” 

“Parker, I could really use yours and Hardison’s help to finish these gingerbread people. They need to be delivered to the children’s hospital bright and early tomorrow morning, which only gives us a few hours to get these finished.” 

“I’ll decorate. Parker, will you cut them out?” Hardison had picked up an icing bag and was already piping an outline on a cooled gingerbread cookie. 

The thief jumped off her stool, laid the ice pack on the stool and used her non-injured hand to press the gingerbread cookie cutter into the dough that had already been rolled out before Hardison joined them in the kitchen.

The three worked together, chatting quietly, and reminiscing about their favorite Christmas memories. Not surprisingly all of Parker’s were since they had become a team all those years ago. Hardison’s were mixed with memories of his Nana and more recent years, and Eliot’s tended to be in the past few years since they’d move to Atlanta. 

Eventually they finished making all the cookies, Hardison was tying bows on each bag of cookies as Parker held the bags with her one good hand. Eliot was cleaning up the bowls and the counter tops and singing Christmas Carols. 

“Hey, guys, we need to get going.” Parker was staring at the clock as Hardison put the last bag of cookies in a box. 

“Right behind you, Parker. Hardison, you want to stay behind and start getting things ready for when Nate and Sophie come over later today?” Eliot was giving him a look, one that said not to disagree with him. 

“Sounds good to me, Eliot. I’ll see you guys back here in an hour or so, right?” Hardison replied. 

Parker nodded as Eliot picked up the last of the boxes they had packed up and left out the back door. Walking towards the back door Parker stopped to kiss Hardison on the cheek. “Merry Christmas, my favourite Pretzel.” She slipped out the door before he could reply and soon he heard the two of them drive away. 

As Hardison was sweeping up the floor there was a knock on the door, he checked the time and realized it was the delivery he had been waiting for. Resting the broom against a counter he walked across the floor and opened up the back door. 

“Mr. Hardison?” a young girl asked. 

“That’s me,” he answered. 

“Oh, good. I’m Annabelle McKay, your friend, Eliot, called me a few months ago about a puppy for your wife, Parker. I have the little girl in the car, along with the list of stuff that Eliot asked me to pick up as well.” Annabelle was a cheerful girl and he took an instant liking to her. 

“Here, let me help you.” Hardison exited the kitchen, out into the alley, and to a hatchback car. She had already opened the back of the car up and he saw a beautiful cream colored, long hair, miniature Dachshund puppy in an oversized cage. “Annabelle, she is gorgeous, Parker is going to be thrilled with her.” 

Annabelle beamed, “She’s already potty trained and she’s been on solid puppy food for the past three weeks. She’s five months old and is updated on all her shots. She’s also been sleeping with me since she’s been weaned from her mom.” With that she opened up the cage and gently handed her to Hardison who instantly cuddled her and cooed at the sweet puppy. As he held the little ball of fur, Annabelle gave him instructions and then took the cage out of the car. “Where should I put this?” 

“You can bring it in the kitchen and I’ll bring everything upstairs in a little bit.” Annabelle followed Hardison and put the items out of the way. As she did that he went into the office and found an envelope he had hidden there earlier that morning. Bringing it out, Hardison handed it to Annabelle, who put it in her coat. With a few last instructions, as well as telling him to call her if they had any questions, she gave the puppy a kiss on the head and waved goodbye. 

Hardison went into the kitchen and started playing with the puppy. For once he was confident that Parker had no idea whatsoever that she was getting a puppy, despite the fact that she had been hinting at wanting one for the past two years. 

This was going to be Parker's favorite Christmas ever.


End file.
